Fraud agencies say they will crack down on dishonest benefits claimants after man uses dead brother's name to claim

Carl Jones, 79, of Grange Terrace, Wavertree, claimed housing and council tax benefits using the name of his younger brother Roy – who died in 1967

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Carl Jones, 79, of Grange Terrace, Wavertree, used his dead brother and an old schoolmate’s identities to steal £200,000 in benefits. He was jailed for 28 months after pleading guilty to 17 counts of dishonesty, fraud and theft at Liverpool Crown Court.

The court heard Jones claimed housing and council tax benefits using the name of his younger brother Roy – who died in 1967.

He also took out a passport using his brother’s identity to apply for pension credits in 2009.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Liverpool council officers became concerned after spotting his fraudulent activity over 13 years.

After raiding Jones’ home, officers also found Jones committed similar offences with the details of a man called Charles Jones, and an old school friend, Brian Abram.

The real Charles Jones did not know the defendant and knew nothing about an application for a passport in his name.

'Minority are cheating the system'

Speaking after the case Bob Gallacher, DWP fraud area manager, said: “Only a small minority of benefit claimants are dishonest, but cases like this show how we are rooting out the unscrupulous minority who are cheating the system and diverting taxpayers’ money from those who really need it.

“We are determined to find those we suspect of abusing the welfare system by following up on tip-offs, undertaking surveillance and working with local councils. Deliberately not informing us of a change in your condition that may affect your claim is a crime. Don’t wait for our fraud investigators to find you - tell us of a change now. If you suspect someone of fraudulently claiming benefits, then call our National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440.”

Pamela Jain, specialist fraud prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “These actions were cold and calculated. Carl Jones used the identity of his dead brother to claim benefits he was not entitled to. He also stole the personal details of his friends and in one case used these to claim further payments. This friend had no idea that his name and details were being used to make claims including for pension, housing and council tax benefits.

“Faced with the strength of the case in front of him, Carl Jones has pleaded guilty today. The case has been dealt with under the ‘Early Guilty Plea’ scheme, which is designed to improve the number and efficiency of guilty plea cases in the Crown Court. Securing an early guilty plea saves valuable court time and has allowed us to make savings to the public purse which stand in stark contrast to Carl Jones’ own fraudulent actions involving total claims of over £200,000.”